


Wounded

by Medilia



Series: TurksTober2020 [3]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:27:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26769469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Medilia/pseuds/Medilia
Summary: Reno is bleeding out and Rude knows he has to keep his partner awake until help gets to them.Day 2 of TurksTober
Series: TurksTober2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947019
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13
Collections: Turkstober 2020





	Wounded

**Author's Note:**

> Written for day two: TurksTober  
> Prompt: Wounded

Reno is bleeding out and Rude knows he has to keep his partner awake until help gets to them. 

Rude shrugged off his jacket and laid it over Reno’s shivering form. The redhead’s skin was grey and his skin taught giving him the appearance of someone who was already dead. But despite his dismal condition, Reno was still grinning. 

“I thought you said this was the good jacket, the new one. Ya told me that you did not want a speck of dirt on it.” Reno’s voice was raspy but that damn grin was firmly affixed to his face. 

“It’s not dirt, it’s your blood, I’ll make an exception for that.” Rude was not smiling, there was nothing to smile about. The mission had gone to hell and Reno had been impaled by shrapnel when they had discharged the explosives. Unable to get out from enemy lines, Rude had carried his injured partner to this tiny shed in the slums and called in with Tseng. Tseng had ordered that they stay put. He had their location fixed based on Rude’s phone but no one could get to them. 

Reno licked his cracked lips with his dry tongue and let out another shiver. His shirt had been torn to shreds by Rude to create make-shift bandages and wrap Reno’s torso as best he could. “You could get outta here, Rude.”

“I’m not leaving you behind,” Rude said without hesitation, “Tseng instructed us to stay put, so we’re staying put until they come and get us.” And nothing Reno could say would make Rude want to leave him behind. 

Outside there was the sound of shouting and gunfire. It seemed that public safety had arrived and were keeping the rebel faction busy. Rude wanted to pick Reno back up and try to get them out of there, he knew the redhead was not going to last much longer without proper care. But Rude also knew that it was more risky to try and move with Reno while there was active combat. 

Reno adjusted and pulled Rude’s jacket tighter around his body, he felt like ice and he was surprised that shock had not settled in yet. Or perhaps it had and years of training and work meant that his mind could stay clear even as his body suffered.

“I’m thinkin’ partner, when we get outta here, gonna take a long hot bath. N’ your gonna join me with Rufus and Tseng,” It was a nice thought, but Reno had already resigned himself to the fact that he was not getting out of this place alive. He had lost too much blood, help was taking too long. Hell, being conscious was a miracle! Cautiously, Reno looked under Rude’s jacket at the worst of his wounds, a metal rod protruding from his abdomen. Rude had broken part of the rod with his bare hands to shorten it so that they could move. But it also meant that it had moved inside of Reno’s body. 

“Sounds nice…”

“Yeah,” Reno grinned, “in fact, I’m gonna invite that cute SOLDIER kid… what’s his name, Fair! Gonna invite Fair along too.” Hell, it was his dying fantasy he was going to have whoever he wanted there with him. 

Rude picked up on where Reno’s head was. “No, you’re not dying, Reno.”

Reno’s stretched his pale lips into a strained smile, his eyes lids were starting to become heavy. “Gotta disagree with you there, partner.” He watched as Rude took out his phone and called Tseng again. 

“When are they getting to us?” Rude demanded, his voice taking on a firm tone as he tried to hold back his emotions, “Reno doesn’t have much longer!” He growled in frustration, “No, we don’t have a cure or a potion or anything. He is bandaged up as best we can but he’s bleeding out right in front of me!”

Reno swallowed thickly and closed his eyes, just for a moment, but then he snapped them back open. Closing his eyes was bad, feeling tired was bad. No, he had to stay awake and keep his eyes open. “Hey, stop shoutin’ at the Director,” Reno said, “put me on the phone.” Reno held out a bloody hand. Rude hesitated, and then acquiested and handed the phone over to Reno. 

“Hey,” Reno’s voice was raspy but he tried to keep the tone light, “Having fun out there?”

“We’re trying to get to you,” Tseng said, “I need you to keep fighting. I know you’re strong.”

Reno chuckled, “You’re goin’ soft on me, Tseng.” An unfortunate by-product of sleeping together, working together, fighting together, emotions somehow managed to get involved. “I’m holdin’ on as best I can.” But he knew it would not be enough, he was moments from losing consciousness and it was all down hill from there.

“I know you are. We’ll be there soon.” Tseng disconcted the call.

“They’re doin’ their best,” Reno said, shivering as he handed the phone back to Rude. 

The bald man sat down next to Reno and carefully pulled him in close so that his back rested against Rude’s chest. “Stay warm, Red,” Rude put a gentle kiss on top of Reno’s head. They were running out of time and Rude was terrified that Reno was going to die in the alley way behind the bins. 

Reno’s entire body was wracked with shivers as he grew ever colder and more tired. Eventually, he could fight no longer and he slumped into unconsciousness. The redhead’s lithe body was impossibly small as he lay, slightly curled against Rude. 

“Damn it,” Rude growled, “don’t give up on me, Red. We’re almost there.” he pressed two fingers below Reno’s jaw but could only feel the barest of a pulse. 

Above, a helicopter whirled its spotlight moving around in an almost frantic manner. Rude bundled Reno into his arms and stood up. “See? Told you. Just stay with me.” Cradling Reno and trying to ensure that he did not aggravate the wounds, Rude walked out from the alley. He wanted to wave an arm to gain the attention of the pilot but he could not risk jostling Reno or dropping him. The spotlight landed on them and Rude’s heart eased a little as the bird began to descend. 

Tseng leapt from the helicopter before it touched down. 

“Report, Rude,” the Wutaineses man demanded as he touched Reno’s cold cheek. It was hard to keep one’s emotions in check in this kind of situation. 

“He’s been unconscious for a few minutes, barely breathing, but breathing.” The helicopter had touched down and Rude moved towards it before the medics could even consider getting out. 

A stretcher was strapped to the far side of the helicopter and Rude laid Reno on it before hesitantly stepping back to allow the medics to get to work. 

“Shrapnel needs to be removed before we can use a materia.”

“Start a blood infusion and a drip,”

“Give him half a potion, just to keep him with us.”

“Vitals are low.”

Weakly, Rude collapsed into one of the seats as the helicopter began to rise once more. He was numb, he could not think straight, could not focus on the medics working over Reno. Rude watched the slums vanish as the helicopter moved out from under the plate. Time moved simultaneously fast and slow as the helicopter went straight to the Midgar hospital and Reno was rushed into surgery. 

Tseng tried to talk to Rude, but the bald man did not want to hear it. Instead, he situated himself in the waiting room, still covered in Reno’s blood and lacking his Turk blazer as Reno had still been holding it as they wheeled him into the hospital. The hours moved by slowly, at some point Rod came by with food and a change of clothes for Rude, but the bald man ignored both. 

It was nearly five in the morning, nine hours since they had come in, that a doctor came out. 

“Surgery was successful. He is still asleep, but you can go see him.”

Rude glanced at Tseng, the Wutainese man restrained himself from going towards the room where Reno was. He would talk to the doctor while Rude got to see the redhead first. 

Lying on the hospital bed with several machines connected to him, Reno looked small and vulnerable. His eyes moved behind his eyelids and Rude was left to wonder what his partner was dreaming about. Sitting down beside Reno, Rude reached out and took the other man’s hand being careful not to jostle any of the tubes or other connections. 

“Looks like you made it out,” Rude kept his voice soft, “You had me worried there…” There was no response from the redhead who continued to lie motionless as pale as the starched white sheets. “First beer is on me when you get out of here. Hell, all the beer is on me.”

Tseng’s footsteps were soft, but audible, the Wutainese man wanted to be heard as he approached. He even cleared his throat as he stepped through the doorway. 

“Rude…”

Rude looked over his shoulder at the Turk Second-in-Command. “What?”

Tseng took a deep breath. “There is damage to Reno’s spinal cord,” he said softly, “There is a high likely-hood that when he wakes up he won’t be able to walk. In fact, he will likely never walk again.”

Rude clenched his fist only stopping when he realised he was crushing Reno’s hand. “You know Reno, Tseng. He’ll walk, hell, he’ll run.” There was no way that there was any alternative. 

“We need to prepare ourselves, Rude,” Tseng kept his voice level, kept his own emotions locked down so that he could look after Rude’s. 

“I won’t give up on him,” Rude said, “And you can’t either!”

Tseng swallowed thickly, “I’m going to call Rufus,” he said before stepping out of the room and leaving Rude once more alone with the unconscious redhead.

“You’re going to be fine, Red. Don’t listen to them.”

Lost in nonsensical dreams caused by the heavy doses of medication, Reno screamed, he could not feel his legs.


End file.
